Spoilers ahead for X-Men #35/Uncanny X-Men #700

With his reputation tarnished, and his status as mutantkind’s greatest leader in ruins, Professor X has proclaimed Storm “the best” of Marvel’s mutants, further positioning her to ascend to the position of the X-franchise’s greatest hero ever. As Ororo undertakes to help her community rise “From the Ashes,” she will also take center stage by joining Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and fighting as an Avenger.

X-Men #35 – written by Gerry Duggan, Al Ewing, and Kieron Gillen, the three writers most responsible for crafting the Krakoan Era’s third act – serves as both an epilogue for the Krakoan Era, and a prologue to the franchise’s “From the Ashes” relaunch.

In one of the issue’s most telling moments, Storm is depicted speaking before the United Nations, positioning her as a primary spokesperson for mutantkind in the post-Krakoan Age. The past several years radically altered mutant-human relations worldwide, and now Storm will be central to navigating the next phase of that fraught relationship.

Xavier Pronounces Storm Mutantkind’s Best, As She Takes On A New Role

X-Men #35, “Dream’s End” – Written By Gerry Duggan, Al Ewing, & Kieron Gillen

X-Men #35 is an emotionally dense issue, appropriate for its position as a hinge between two eras of franchise history. The Krakoan Saga is widely considered the greatest height X-Men has ever reached, and now Marvel’s X-Office has the intimidating task of following that up. Placing Storm at the forefront of the franchise moving forward is a strong first step, as the character’s trajectory over the past several years has elevated her to the highest echelon of popularity among the fandom. X-Men #35 features her in just a few panels, but as always, she makes her presence felt.

In the issue, as a mental projection of Charles Xavier visits his former X-Men scattered across the globe, his narration about Storm confirms what many X-fans had already decided: that Ororo Munroe is the franchise’s greatest hero. “Ororo, perhaps the best of us,” Xavier thinks, punctuating Storm’s Krakoan era evolution into mutantkind’s most righteous leader, far surpassing both Xavier and her second mentor, Magneto. Professor X witnesses Storm – regal as ever – giving a speech before the United Nations, making it clear that she has replaced him as the figurehead of the mutant race.

Readers should be excited by the prospect of Storm taking over the socio-political aspect of the franchise from characters like Xavier, Magneto, and Apocalypse. While her upcoming role as an Avenger will give the character ample chances to make her mark in high-stakes superhero action, X-Men has an opportunity to explore other aspects of her character, casting her in a more nuanced role that continues her growth during the Krakoan Era. In any case, Professor X’s confident labeling of her as mutantkind’s “best” makes it clear Marvel recognizes her importance.

Xavier’s Story Isn’t Over – But He Will Never Be The Same

X-Men #35/Uncanny X-Men #700 – Art By Joshua Cassara, Phil Noto, Lucas Werneck, Leinil Francis Yu, & Many More

As a character, Charles Xavier is no stranger to moral gray areas, and has come to be synonymous with “ends-justify-the-means” decisions and Pyrrhic victories. His arc to end the Krakoan Era certainly ranks among the most controversial narrative decisions in the character’s history – but for better or worse, it led to an emotionally-charged pay-off in X-Men #35. Subtitled “Dream’s End,” after the recurring refrain that Xavier’s dream is no more, and that his former pupils and allies need to move on without it, the issue does work to set up the next era of X-Men stories.

“To me, my X-Men. No more, never again,” Xavier narrates in X-Men #35. While “never” doesn’t hold much weight in comics, it does signal a fundamentally different role for the character than he has ever played before. There have been previous stories where the X-Men carried on without Professor X’s influence, and even times when they have been at odds with him – his narration in X-Men #35, however, suggests something different. There is an ominous weight to the character’s monologue in the issue. Rather than contrition for his actions, it almost conveys a sense of liberation.

Whether Xavier could have a truly villainous turn in him, or if he will find a radically different way to continue being a hero, remains one of the biggest questions going into the “From the Ashes” relaunch. X-Men #35 delivers something of a false shock, briefly teasing the character’s death, before making it clear that he very much still has a role to play in the next era of X-Men. The specifics of that role, however, will drive reader speculation for the time being, until future stories elaborate further.

Beyond Just X-Men, Storm Is Now A Major Player In The Marvel Universe

Given the chance, Storm will without a doubt thrive as the leader of Marvel’s mutant population. Beyond that, however, what is also clear is that Storm belongs not just at the top of the list of greatest X-Men characters, but of Marvel characters in general. It can certainly be argued that she already held that distinction – but what is undeniable is the way that the closing chapters of the Krakoan Era included a conscious, coordinated effort to make her inclusion unequivocal.

By making Storm the central character in the X-franchise’s sprawling Arakko narrative, years worth of stories cultivated the character’s status as a preeminent leader, while nurturing her best qualities as a hero. All of this reached its dramatic apex in the conclusion of the X-Men: Red series, and her subsequent starring role in the Resurrection of Magneto miniseries. Now, at the inauguration of the “From the Ashes” Era, all of that will be foundational to the stories Marvel chooses to tell with Storm moving forward.

Storm has traveled a long road since her first X-Men appearance; she has been one of the franchise’s most enduringly popular characters for decades, and has been at the heart of some of its most monumental stories. At the same time, there have been periods where readers felt like she was not being properly utilized – something the Krakoan Era consciously sought to subvert. Now, as the X-Men franchise rises “From the Ashes,” Storm will continue to take on an even more essential role for Marvel.